I am Building SLS: Anton Kolomiets

My number one childhood dream was to be an astronaut. When I was younger, I loved to design and build radio-controlled aircraft. I got my pilot’s license in high school, and always knew I wanted to enter the aerospace field as a profession. Because my spacesuit isn’t quite ready yet, I’m more than happy to roll up my sleeves and help the space industry on the engineering side.

I am a mechanical engineer and production operations lead for the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) at United Launch Alliance’s Decatur, Alabama, production facility. I love the opportunity to play a part in designing and integrating hardware that will fly in space. How many people get the chance to say they put their hands on something that will fly past the moon at thousands of miles per hour? It’s an absolute honor to come in every day and know the work we do directly affects humanity’s push to go farther, faster and higher in the quest for knowledge.

Saturn V was one of the most mesmerizing machines of the previous generation, and ignited the curiosity and imagination of people around the world. It put humans on a new world, never before touched or explored. Space Launch System is the vehicle that promises to build on that legacy and return astronauts to the cutting edge of deep-space exploration. SLS missions will be the “Apollo 11” of the modern age – human footprints will make an appearance on a new celestial body, Mars.

I earned a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from Texas A&M University in College Station — that’s when the doors of aerospace started to open for me. I got an internship with United Launch Alliance during my junior year and have never looked back.

When I’m not helping solve unique design challenges on vehicles that must perform flawlessly in one of the most unforgiving environments imaginable, you’ll likely find me competing in another challenging environment – a triathlon. While most people are sleeping, my friends and I are usually swimming or running in preparation for the next race weekend.